Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-23
UNFAITHFUL FIDELITY.
MATTERS GROW WORSE DAILY WITH
THE CINCINNATI BANK

And Also with the Oficers Who Wrecked
It-A Second Arrest of the Culprits and
Hard Time at Finding Bail-AnOther
Arrest Ahead-A Loss of Six Millions
Reported.
CINCINNATI, June 90 e. L. Harper, Vice
president Ammi Baldwin, cashier and Ben.
E. Hopkins, assistant cashier of the Fidelity
National bank, were rearrested Wednesday,
the two former at the bank and Hopkins at
the Office of Lawyer Rankin d. Jones. The
charge upon which they were arrested this
time is that they conspired to defraud in issu-
ing large drafts to the amount of $500, 600 for
investments in the Chicago wheat deal, and
in making false returns to the United States
comptroller of the currency. The trio ap-
peared before United States Commissioner
Hooper, waived examination, and were bound
over to the grand jury Harper's bail under
this arrest was fixed at $4,000, and that of
Baldwin and Hopkins at S., 900 each.
There was much difficulty in getting bonds
men, and at 5;45, over an hour after the ar
rest the three were still in custody H. B.
Morehead was the only bondsman offered,
and he only went bail for Harper 1t looked
much as if the prisoners would have to be
jailed.
Joseph Josephs a creditor of Harper to the
extent of $4,000, has replevined Swift's Iron
and Steel works, Newport, which were as
signed by Harper.
The arrested men finally secured bondsmen
and were released. They are to be again ar
rested on charges similar TO those already
preferred
The more the affairs of the bank are looked
into the worse they appear. 1t is now the
comm IN talk on the streets that the liabilities
of the bank will reach the stupendous sum OF
$8,000,000, while the assets dwindle in pro-
portion. 1t seems foregone conclusion that
depositors will get next to nothing. This is
the general talk, but of course it is unofficial
and can not be verified until the bank exam
liner completes his work and makes his report.
1t is stated that the memorandum which is
the substitute for coIlaterals shows that Will
shire used 81, 100, 600 of the banks money,
and that collaterals for other loans were by
is the belief of some that Wiltshire acted as
the agent Of Harper in conducting the wheat
deal, and was not really borrower.
Mr.. Eugene Powell, the bank examiner, is
credited with saying that the condition of the
bank is woful. He said it was singular how
Harper had deceived everybody about the
matter. When the wheat panic occurred in
Chicago, and rumOrs were out of a run on
the Fidelity bank, Mr.. Harper stated re-
peatedly to parties asking for information
that he did not know who was in the wheat
deal and he went so far as to say that he did
not believe that it was managed at all in Cir
cinnati
A statement was current here Wednesday
morning that the American Exchange Ma
tional bank of Chicago was a creditor to the
Fidelity to the amount of $50, 900 A tele-
gram from Chicago, however, states that
Vice President Dewey emphatically denies
this in a statement issued to the directors of
the American Exchange, in which he says
that the interest of that bank in the Fidelity
is limited to draft of 800 600 drawn on the
Chemical National of New York, and bal,
ance of Sl9s, 36i 10 on collection accounts,
against which the American Exchange holds
sundry collateralS Mr.. Dewey also says his
private advices are to the effect that the
Fidelity will pay in full